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Reps. Katie Porter and Michelle Steel have moved to honor Dr. John Cheng, the Aliso Viejo doctor who died trying to stop a gunman at a Laguna Woods Church last month, with a Congressional Gold Medal. 

The duo said they introduced bipartisan legislation commissioning the posthumous recognition to express Congress’ “highest appreciation for actions taken by an individual or institution.”

Cheng was 52 years old when he was killed by a gunman who opened fire at a Taiwanese banquet at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in May. Authorities say Cheng rushed the gunman , allowing others to subdue him. Five others were wounded.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes has said Cheng likely saved dozens of lives. 

“Dr. Cheng is a hero, and his legacy must live on,” Porter, a Democrat who represents the Laguna Woods area, said. “Dr. Cheng undoubtedly saved lives when he charged the gunman attacking his mother’s church last month. Representative Steel and I are pushing to honor Dr. Cheng’s sacrifice and bestow him with Congress’ highest civilian award.”

Steel, a Republican who represents Laguna Niguel, said: “Dr. Cheng was a hero who represents the very best of Orange County. With his bravery, he saved dozens of other lives and prevented an even bigger tragedy from occurring. I’m proud to support this effort to award him with a Congressional Gold Medal so that his courage will never be forgotten.”

The legislation would need to clear several congressional hurdles before it would be voted on.

Recent recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal include the service members who died during the evacuation efforts in Afghanistan in 2021 as well as the U.S. Capitol police officers and others who protected the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

Cheng was a family care and sports medicine physician who was remembered by many for his generosity and investment in the community. The doctor “would be that man that would put everybody’s needs in front of his own,” Andrew Mashburn, the Aliso Niguel High School athletic director, previously said . 

A GoFundMe in support of Cheng’s wife and two children has raised nearly $808,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Porter and Steel, along with fellow California Rep. Mike Levin, D-Oceanside, held a moment of silence on the House floor in honor of Cheng earlier this month.

A 68-year-old Las Vegas man has been charged with murder as well as hate crime enhancements for the attack on those at the Presbyterian church. Officials have alleged he was motivated by a hatred of Taiwanese people. 

Meanwhile, senators appear poised to pass a bipartisan gun safety bill that includes a bevy of components — from funding for state-run crisis intervention programs to increasing background checks for younger gun buyers and more. 

House Democrats representing Orange County have praised the Senate’s work on a bipartisan framework — albeit, while still hoping for more. 

The Laguna Woods church shooting occurred during a smattering of major mass shootings in the U.S. Ten Black people were killed during a racially motivated attack on a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in mid-May. Less than two weeks later, a gunman fatally shot 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. 

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